I am still on my vegetarian kick and this week we tasted cauliflower soup, stuffed peppers, nut burgers and eton mess (the latter just being meringue all squashed up with strawberries and cream). During the week we went and listened to some jazz at Colston Hall and picked up a leaflet about dancing classes, Harry bought me rather a quaint little bell for my bike (unfortunately it wouldn't fit on the bars with all the gear paraphenalia so had to be replaced by a boring black one) and we planned our weekend in Bristol as it was Bristol Open Doors 2010.
The open doors is an annual event where lots of places not usually open to the public open their doors to the curious. So, we made the most of this...
We climbed on the roof of St Mary Redcliffe - this is our favourite church in England and believe me we have seen a few. Locals can't quite believe it and many admit they haven't been inside. The view from the top is rather nice - there is something quite spiritual about being on the top of a church roof - up there with the angels. We looked down on the city on rather a nice autumn day.
Not far from the church are some manmade tunnels called the Redcliffe Caves. We'd walked past and over this hill many a time but didn't realise that underneath there was a myriad of manmade caves. So, on this Saturday equipped with our torches we explored the caves, the graffiti, a few tree roots that had manage to crack through the rock above, some stalactites and the foundations of the hotel above. The area is mainly red sandstone, pretty soft really, and certainly easily enough to break up and create these caves which were originally cellars with the sand being used to make glass (Bristol blue glass a well known local industry - from red sandstone!!) and also used as ship’s ballast. The caves were not apparently used as homes for slaves (though some would argue that point), but did serve as a jail for Spanish and French prisoners during the various wars over the centuries. Surprisingly they were never really used as bomb shelters as the bombs fell really close - perhaps the sand was too soft). Then on we drove to St Vincents Works which is in a pretty run down industrial area not far from the railway line and my work. Originally they were built for the offices of the John Lysaght’s Iron Works (where parts of the SS Great Britain, Clifton Suspension Bridge were made). The building is over 120 years old, but was left to nature back in the 1990's but then purchased by a company interested in the environment mainly wind turbines (I call them all windmills but Harry pointed out that they do not mill anything so I guess he is right to call them a turbine). The building has been restored to its original grandeur and narrowly escaped a fire a few years ago when the warehouse next door caught alight - I can vaguely remember it on the news. The office building is an array of Royal Doulton tiles, iron and wood work - I just couldn't resist touching it.
Southville was a picture on this summers day and we enjoyed the walk through the sailors cottages and a stop for a coffee and chips at a local harbourside pub.
That was it for Saturday but Sunday held more. The Clifton funicular railway was one of those water powered funicular railways that took rich people from the riverside up to their expensive terraced houses in Clifton. From below the old railway is just a barred doorway and from the top it really isn't much different. But with open doors there were 'welcome signs' and so we walked down with the guide to the railway that has had its many uses over time - but now stands simply as a historical transport reminder. For years the locals had fought against a railway, but eventually they agreed as long as it didn't spoil the scenery ie it had to be completely hidden from sight. It opened in 1893 and for 40 years ran people up and down the cliff. It closed in 1934 but during the war became a secret transmision base for the BBC and the top area became a bomb shelter where local residents had a ticket to a particular step where they could sleep and eat for 12 hours each night. No ticket no entry no matter how bad the bombing was!! Above the railway is the Avon Gorge Hotel and between these buildings is an old derelict hall. Once planned to be pulled down and replaced with a carpark the hall is now heading for restoration and may again feel the pounding of ball room dancers as they circle the room like they did in the early 1900's. (Did I mention we were taking dancing lessons - in a few years time we might be able to dance here!!)
After wandering around the terraced houses with wrought iron balconies (the type you see in Aussie all the time) we took off to Bath for a spot of christmas shopping - bought nothing but found some blackberries on along a country lane - so more crumble this week.
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